Thousands of Lifetimes
by Calla3131
Summary: She has walked the earth for thousands of years, gradually losing all of her faith in others. But perhaps she can find a new purpose at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters... and beside a most intriguing master of magnetism.
1. In the Beginning

… **..**

 **Hello! Thank you for choosing to give this story a chance! This is my first ever X-Men fanfic, as I've only recently finished watching all of the movies at the insistence of my husband. I'm so glad that he was relentless in his efforts to convince me to give them a chance, because I love them! In particular, I love the character of Magneto – not quite a villain, but definitely not always a hero. I hated that he didn't have the happy ending that he deserved with someone that he loved, so I decided to change that, at least in my own mind.**

 **Some disclaimers beforehand: I obviously do not own any of the characters in the Marvel universe, save for the ones that I invent myself. Also, I am only very loosely following the storyline. I will be taking a lot of artistic license with this story, so please keep that in mind as you read and forgive me. Some of the characters and events may seem different, so you've had your fair warning. This story takes place around the time of the events in DC, so Apocalypse has yet to happen.**

 **I think that's all that I have to say beforehand. I hope that you enjoy the story and, if you do, please leave a review! I'm a big fan of constructive criticism and suggestions. Favorites and follows are also appreciated, as are private messages. I try to respond to every private message that I receive.**

 **Happy Reading!**

… **..**

 _ **Chapter One: In the Beginning**_

 *** Calla ***

It was a calm day in Egypt, which meant that it was the perfect environment for tourists. They came from all over the world to stare at the pyramids and wonder aloud about those that had built them.

But I didn't have to wonder.

I'd been there.

The sun was high in the sky and I was sweating beneath all of the garb that Egyptian women wore daily, but I didn't dare remove it. I didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself, and blending in was the only way to be sure of that.

It was drawing near to time for the tour of the pyramid, so I made my way over to the group, edging closer step by step. A woman travelling alone would draw too much attention, so I hoped that if I quietly snuck into the middle of the group, no one would pay me any mind. To my great relief, it worked. Soon, my plan would be complete and I could finally rest. Possibly for the rest of time.

 _Minute by minute_ , I reminded myself. _Nothing is final yet_.

But soon, hopefully, it would be.

The tour guide arrived just then – a short, stocky man dressed in explorer garb. No doubt, he was one of those that had tried to explore the pyramids for loot. Perhaps he'd used up all of his money and was offering tours to earn his ticket home. England, I guessed from his pale skin and smooth accent.

He spoke to us about group safety for a few minutes and then waved for us to follow him towards the pyramid. I stayed right in the middle of the group, not even listening to the conversation around me or to the guide, who spoke of the pyramid's history rather inaccurately. If only he knew of the people that had constructed the great pyramids, the battles that had been fought there, the people that had been so reverently laid to rest there…

 _I'll be among them soon_.

The group came to an abrupt halt and it was all I could do not to slam into the back of the tall gentleman walking just in front of me. There was gasping and murmuring, and I peered around the man's arm to see what looked to be a mirage in the distance, floating beside the pyramid.

It was a man – tall, strong, and dressed in the traditional loincloth of a time long ago. His shoulder length hair was a rich brown, and I knew that his eyes matched. In fact, I knew nearly everything about this man. At one time, he'd been a lover of mine.

"Just a mirage," the guide assured the group, chuckling. "People see all kinds of things out here in the desert. That's why it's imperative that you remain hydrated and stay together. The desert can drive people to madness."

Those around me continued to whisper about the "mirage" that they had seen, and I did my best to ignore him floating there, looking at me with sad eyes. I wondered if he knew what I was planning.

 _Of course he does. Why else would he be here_?

But I told myself that my mind was simply inventing things due to the heat. In an effort to convince myself of this, I took the canteen from its holder on my hip and took a few deep swallows of the water inside.

 _The heat wouldn't have this effect on you. On others, yes, but never on you._

I told my inner voice to be silent and stopped with the group at the base of the pyramid. There, the guide gave everyone permission to touch the structure. As the people moved to do so, my heart began to pound inside of my chest. My opportunity had finally presented itself.

 _Deep breath_.

I moved forward as the others did, and I placed my hand against the aged stone, closing my eyes. I felt the connection instantly, and my body buzzed with it. But the entrance that I had created so long ago was not there. Reaching out with my mind, I discovered that we were on the wrong side of the pyramid; I hadn't even noticed, as I'd been trying so hard just to blend in.

With a low curse, I blew out a breath and focused my energy. In the next instant, the people around me shrieked and gasped as a sudden burst of powerful wind kicked up sand all around them. I used it as my cover to rush away, and only let up once I was safely at the entrance.

Moments later, I was inside, and the entrance closed behind me. The smell of old dust nearly overwhelmed me, but I knew that I would grow used to it after a few minutes. I needed to press on. I owed it to myself to press on.

The flame that I had conjured floated beside me as I navigated through the narrow, twisting tunnel. I walked with purpose, eager for my end. Not the true end that I had desired for centuries now, but close enough. It was better than the endlessness that I'd been forced to endure since the beginning of time.

The narrow tunnel eventually opened up into a larger chamber and I felt a sense of peace as I lit the waiting torch mounted on the wall. There was a pallet on the floor and nothing else visible to the eye, though my treasures were buried far beneath my feet. I hadn't kept much on my journey through life, but the things that I had would always be safe, and that gave me comfort.

Before I could lose my courage, I knelt and then laid on the pallet on the floor. Staring up at the ceiling above me, I spoke aloud. "It ends here."

Nothing answered me back, so I closed my eyes. I searched through my being for the power at my core and, once I had reached it, I unleashed all of it. The ground trembled beneath me, the air swirled all around me and far, far away the fire and water reacted. Destruction was the price of my peace, but I felt that I had earned it. In truth, I had earned it long, long ago.

And then there was darkness.

And silence.

 _Finally_.

"Not yet."

My consciousness opened its eyes and looked around at the forest. I recognized it from so long ago, and I had thought that I would never see it again.

And then Nour was in front of me, clearer than he had been beside the pyramid.

"Not yet," he repeated, and gave me a small smile. "Is this truly what you desire? To forfeit this gift?"

"This curse," I corrected him and felt the tears sting my eyes. "Why won't it let me die?"

"Most would consider immortality a great gift," he said softly, and I remembered how he had died. Shot through the heart with an arrow in battle. I remembered my pain upon hearing of his death, though it wasn't the last pain that death would ever cause me. Not by a long shot.

"I am sorry for your death," I whispered, and then my voice grew as strong as my resolve. "But those that say that immortality is a gift have never experienced it."

"None have. Save for you." He stepped closer and smiled at me, sadness in his eyes. "What is it that you are hoping death will bring you?"

The words left my body as no more than a soft breath. "An end."

"You know you cannot accomplish this."

I knew. I had tried more times than I could even count. "I know that I cannot bring death to myself. But I believe that I have discovered a way to… make myself sleep. Perhaps even forever. Alive, but… only barely."

"And that is better than living?" The tone of his voice told me that he did not believe that it was. "To lie in a hidden chamber forever rather than to experience the world?"

I snorted. "I have experienced the world, I can assure you." I could not think of a place that I had not been.

"It is ever changing," he disagreed and frowned. "Even this pyramid, for all that it is the same, has changed much."

"It's older, but it hasn't changed all that much. Not to me."

"Do not do this," he pleaded with me. "I wish so much more for you. And I know there must be others who would say the same. You are too gifted to remain locked away from civilization forever."

"Civilization means nothing to me." I hoped that he could see how true it was. How much I meant it. How much I _wanted_ this.

And he did. With a sigh and much sadness in his eyes, he nodded his head. "Very well. Then I will not keep you any longer."

And then everything went black.

 *** One Hundred and Twenty-Three Years Later ***

Alex Kent jumped as a bug flew out of the pile of rubble and nearly into his eye. With a cry of disgust, he swatted at it until it had disappeared. When he straightened, he saw many of the workers laughing at his misfortune, and felt his face turn bright red.

"Kent, stop fooling around." Professor Michael Reed was clearly annoyed with his research assistant. Alex was young and almost as intelligent as the professor himself, but Michael wished that he possessed just a tad more decorum. The workers that they'd hired already thought him a fool, and Michael did not wish to be a fool by association. He was a professor, for God's sake, and one of the world's foremost authorities on ancient Egypt. That's why he had been granted so much access to the pyramids. Access that had led to a most curious discovery.

While studying some of the tombs inside of the Great Pyramid of Giza, a most helpful device had alerted him to the presence of a hidden chamber. With permission, he had begun to tunnel his way into it. Well… the _workers_ had begun to tunnel the way into it. And along the way, they were coming across some most intriguing hieroglyphics. They seemed to tell of a being with immense power. A goddess, Professor Reed had decided, for the Egyptians depicted in the drawings seemed to be worshipping her.

He was under the impression that the hidden chamber was her tomb, and he was most excited to be the one to discover it. He could only imagine the great riches that they would have buried a goddess with, and he couldn't help but wonder if he would be allowed to keep a jewel or two as a thank you for his discovery. Of course, he could always slip one into his pocket when no one was looking…

"Professor!"

Alex's voice drifted into his ears only a split second before a blast sent him flying backwards. As luck would have it, he crashed into a pile of sandbags which, while not the softest thing in the world to land on, provided much more cushion than the piles of stone scattered about. Looking around, he noted that some of the other men hadn't been so lucky.

Alex Kent was mere feet away, crouched behind a rather large pile of stone. His face sported a few bleeding cuts and he was covered in dust, but he seemed to be fine otherwise.

Michael coughed and struggled to sit up, certain that his ribs were bruised, if not broken. "I said that no dynamite was to be used." He was going to ruin the man that had dared to disobey his orders.

"No one brought dynamite, Professor." Alex coughed and shakily pulled himself to his feet. "Did you not feel the earthquake?"

Not that he could recall, but he _had_ been quite preoccupied with thoughts of the riches of the tomb. Of course, he didn't voice that. "You mean to tell me that the blast was a result of the earthquake? Earthquakes don't cause explosions."

"I know, Professor. I'm only telling you what I witnessed. They had just broken through the last wall and into the chamber there and-"

"They made it into the chamber?" Suddenly, nothing else mattered. Not the earthquake, not the explosion, and not even the men that had died. Michael Reed could think only of the fame that would be awarded him when he presented his discovery. Of course, he was already famous in anthropologic circles, but after this… the entire world would know his name. He would not only be famous, but wealthy. And after years and years of research, he deserved it.

"Yes, but-"

He ignored Alex and climbed down from the pile of sandbags, ignoring the pinching pain in his chest. "What did it hold?"

"No one had a chance to look inside, Professor. Professor!" he called after him as Michael rushed towards the large hole in the wall. "Wait! You need to put on a suit so that you cannot be contaminated by any bacteria!"

With a curse, the professor stopped and returned to the spot where Alex was preparing all of the materials that they would need. All around them, the workers that had lived were lamenting the dead, and warning of the great danger that rested in the chamber that they had discovered. But the professor ignored them all. There was no such thing as curses.

Once they were suited up in the appropriate protective equipment, the professor and Alex made their way towards the chamber. The air around Michael buzzed with his own excitement and as he reached the entrance, he clicked his flashlight on and shined it inside.

His disappointment was almost palpable. There were no jewels, or riches of any kind. The chamber was small and held only the body of a woman lying upon the ground. So, not a perceived goddess, then, as the Egyptians never would have buried a goddess in such a small chamber or lying upon the ground.

"Just a body," the professor said in disgust. "Not even wrapped in Egyptian fashion. Likely just a looter that could not find her way out and died alone."

"But how did she get into the chamber?" Alex slowly approached the body and reached out with their dusting tool and began to swipe away the dust. As he did, the professor shined his flashlight all around the chamber, hoping that he was missing something.

Sadly, he was not.

"Professor!"

At the surprise in Alex's voice, Michael whirled around. "What? What is it?" But then he saw. "It can't be."

All of the dust was gone from the woman's face and she looked… impeccable. No decay whatsoever. In fact, she had beautiful, flawless skin accented with high cheekbones and a wide forehead.

"How is that possible?" the professor whispered as Alex continued to dust with renewed vigor.

"Her clothes look to be from the 1800s," Alex said as he took in the garb that the woman wore. "This is… incredible. She's somehow been perfectly preserved." He reached out slowly and touched the body. "She's not even _hard_. How is this possible?"

 _Perhaps I may become famous for my discovery after all_ , Michael thought. _Even if there are no riches._

"Professor! She's alive!" Alex's shocked expression told him that it was no joke. His assistant was crouched beside the body, his ungloved hand on her wrist. "She has a pulse!"

"My God…" The professor rushed forward to feel for himself, as none of this seemed possible. But it _was_ somehow possible, for the professor could also feel the faint pulse in the young woman's wrist. "Fetch a stretcher immediately! We must get her to the nearest medical center."

"And then what?" Alex asked, but he didn't wait for an answer. He rushed out of the chamber, off to fetch a stretcher so that they could transport the woman out of here.

"I don't know," the professor answered as he stared down at the face of the miraculous young woman. "Perhaps she is a goddess after all." For surely no mere human could survive trapped inside of a pyramid for as long as it would take for that much dust to accumulate on their body.

"How did you survive?" he whispered as he gently removed her head covering to reveal dark, wavy hair.

Suddenly, there was a rumble throughout the pyramid.

 _Another earthquake_ , the professor thought, and began to stand to flee.

But before he could, he saw the young woman's eyes flutter and then fly open to reveal a blue brighter than any sky or body of water that he'd ever seen.

"You're… you're alive," he whispered, though he'd already known this. But it was one thing to suspect a miracle and another thing entirely to witness it.

"Unfortunately," the woman said, and the professor fainted right into the arms of Alex, who'd just returned with the stretcher.

 *** Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters ***

"Erik," Charles said impatiently. "It's your move."

"I know that just as well as I did when you told me five minutes ago," Erik replied without taking his eyes off of the board. Charles was going to have him beat no matter what move he made next, but he still clung stubbornly to the last vestiges of hope.

"Then make your move so that I can call checkmate and end this game. We can always play again."

"This is our fifth game of the day," Erik reminded him and sighed, finally resigning himself to the fact that he was going to lose. Surprise, surprise. He moved his knight to take Charles' rook.

"Thank you." Charles moved his queen and called checkmate. Game over. "So, you don't want to play again? Perhaps your luck will change."

Before Erik could respond, there was a great rumbling beneath their feet. The largest earthquake that Erik had ever felt. He sprang to his feet as Charles gripped the wheels of his chair, eyes wide.

"A student?" Erik asked.

Charles shook his head. "I don't know of a student that could create an earthquake that extreme." He closed his eyes and concentrated. "People are feeling it all across the state… the nation… I need to get to Cerebro."

Erik nodded and headed for the door, Charles following close behind. On the way to Cerebro, they had to reassure students that everything was fine and they should return to the dining hall to finish their dinners. Hank McCoy, another professor at the school, met them on the way and silently joined their group.

Once inside the room that housed Cerebro, Charles reached for the helmet. "I'm going to see if I can figure out where the earthquake originated."

"You don't think it was natural?" Hank asked.

"No," Charles said. "I think that there might be a mutant out there that caused it."

"That would have to be one powerful mutant," Erik mused. "To shake an entire nation."

As Cerebro lit up, Charles spoke with wonder. "Not just a nation. _Nations_. I think that the whole world felt the earthquake."

"The whole world?" Hank sounded both surprised and impressed.

"Who _is_ this mutant?" Erik mused softly.

"That's what I'm trying to find out, but… whoever it is… their mind is too strong. I can't get inside." But it was obvious that he was putting all of his energy into it.

"Someone that can keep Charles out?" Hank said softly to Erik. "I don't like this."

"Nor do I."


	2. A New Purpose

… **..**

 **Thank you all so much for returning to this next chapter of the story! I sincerely appreciate each and every one of you, and I'm so grateful for the reads, reviews, favorites, follows, and private messages that I've received so far in support of this story. It means so much to me.**

 **Someone private messaged me and asked how often I'm planning to update, and as of right now, I want it to be once a week. Most likely on Fridays or Saturdays, as that will give me plenty of time during the week to write. So, keep an eye out and keep me accountable!**

 **Happy Reading!**

… **..**

 _ **Chapter Two: A New Purpose**_

 *** One Week Later ***

Charles was finishing up his newest novel when the phone on his desk rang. He smiled as he set the book aside and moved to the desk. He loved the surprise that the phone brought. Was it a parent calling to ask about their child? A student wanting to enroll? A mutant wanting to come visit to receive help with their power?

This time, it was none of the above.

"Stanley," Charles said when the man on the other end greeted him. "What can I do for you?" Stanley worked for the CIA, and he was second in command in the division that dealt with the study of mutants. As such, Charles and Stanley had frequent chats about mutants and their future with humans.

"We didn't know who else to call," Stanley admitted.

" _We_?" Charles asked, brow furrowed. "What's going on?"

Stanley took a deep breath on the other end. "A mutant was discovered last week in Egypt. Inside of the Pyramid of Giza, actually."

That was interesting. "Define _discovered_."

"A professor of anthropology was investigating a small chamber off of one of the tombs inside the pyramid. Inside, he found a perfectly intact young woman. Still breathing. Heart still beating. According to the professor and his research assistant, there was an earthquake and an explosion when they found her."

"Are we talking about the earthquake felt all across the world?"

"We are." Stanley didn't even sound surprised that Charles knew that the earthquake had been felt everywhere.

"Fascinating." A mutant discovered in a pyramid that was powerful enough to cause such a massive earthquake… he wanted to meet her. "What's her name?"

"We don't know."

He frowned. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"We asked," Stanley said defensively. "She hasn't talked to any of us. Mossad called us to come and get her, since we have more experience with mutants. She hasn't done much of anything since we brought her back to the CIA. I don't even know if she speaks English. We thought you might have more luck?"

Charles absentmindedly drummed his fingertips on his desk and sent out a mental call for Erik (who was approaching the door to his office) to come in. "Yes, perhaps she would be more open to speaking with her own kind. Where are you keeping her?" He prayed that it wasn't a mutant prison.

"At the Pentagon," Stanley answered and rushed to add, "but not locked away. The director wanted her to be kept in the prison, but she hasn't been threatening to us. She's obviously powerful, but I don't believe that she wants to hurt us."

Erik opened the door just then, noted Charles on the phone, and softly shut the door behind himself. Charles spoke to Stanley. "Excellent. How soon can we come speak with her?"

"As soon as you can get here. The director agreed not to lock her up, but he's getting antsy about her being here when we know next to nothing about her."

Charles nodded. "Erik and I will leave at once."

"You're bringing Magneto?" Charles could hear the apprehension in the other man's voice, and he really couldn't blame him. Not too long ago, Erik had nearly shot several ships with missiles. It had taken much effort for Charles to convince the government that Magneto had changed and had agreed to remain at the school as a professor. It was nearly a miracle that they hadn't just locked him up. But, as Charles had argued, that would only have provoked Erik and other mutants even more. Best to let it go and move on.

"Yes," Charles said and held up a finger to Erik, who had opened his mouth with a question in his eyes. "That won't be a problem, will it?"

"It'll make more than a few people nervous," Stanley admitted. "But I understand why you're doing it. You want to show that he's truly changed. I'll leave your names with the guard at the south entrance. See you gentlemen in a few hours." And then Stanley hung up.

Charles put the phone down. "Are you up for a trip to the Pentagon?"

Erik's confusion grew as he sank into one of the chairs across from Charles. "The Pentagon? I don't think anyone wants me there."

"I do." Charles moved his chair for the door and motioned for Erik to join him, which he did. "The mutant that caused the giant earthquake a week ago? She's there."

Though Charles had agreed to stay out of Erik's mind without express permission, he could still feel the intrigue from the other man. "What's she doing there?"

Charles relayed his phone call with Stanley as they moved towards the hangar that held their jet. Luckily, Hank was there messing with something on one of the lab tables, and Charles asked him to fly them to DC. Hank was all too willing to do so and, in no time at all, they were in the air.

"What's the plan?" Erik asked as they began a game of chess. "You weren't able to read her mind from Cerebro."

Yes, Charles recalled that fact quite well. "My hope is that a closer proximity will allow me to get inside of her head, if need be."

"If she's not talking, then I would say that there would be a need."

Charles looked at his friend with a small smile. "You asked me not to enter your head without express permission. Why?"

Erik thought for a moment and then spoke as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because it feels like a violation. My thoughts are my own."

"Exactly. For the most part, I try to stay out of someone's mind unless they give me their permission. I will show her the same courtesy that I show to everyone."

"I wonder why she isn't talking." Erik moved a pawn and cursed when Charles immediately took his knight.

"Perhaps she is overwhelmed," Charles mused as he watched Erik move another pawn. "From what I understand, she had been in the pyramid for quite a long time. It's likely a very different world now than it was when she was walking around in it."

"So, she has the power to… what?" Erik asked. "Freeze herself? And cause earthquakes?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'm hoping that she'll be willing to tell us. Perhaps I can even convince her to come to the school."

"As a student?"

Charles shrugged. "Perhaps even a professor, if she has enough control of her powers. We could use a few more classes."

Erik nodded his agreement and took Charles' knight, even though he knew that's likely exactly what Charles wanted him to do. "And if she refuses?"

"Then she refuses." Charles sighed. "But I hope that she doesn't. I _hope_ that she agrees to come back with us. You know that I love to see what other mutants can do. To help them, in any way that I can."

"I know that very well." Erik sighed. "I'm going to lose, aren't I?"

"In…" Charles studied the board for a moment. "Three moves."

Hank called back to them that they would be landing in a few minutes, so Charles and Erik put the board and pieces away and strapped themselves in. After Hank had expertly landed the plane, they asked him to refuel and wait for them on the jet.

"We shouldn't be all that long," Charles assured him, and then he and Erik climbed into the car that Stanley had graciously sent for them.

They had no trouble getting into the Pentagon and before long, they found themselves being greeted by Stanley, a tall, balding man that was always dressed in an ill-fitting gray suit. He thanked them both for coming as he shook their hands, his gaze turning a bit cautious when he spoke to Erik.

"She's this way," he said and indicated for them to follow him down the hallway. "I have the all-clear from the director to let her go with you, if she chooses to do so."

"And if not?" Erik asked.

 _Be careful_ , Charles warned him telepathically. _They're simply being cautious._

"We need some kind of assurance that she means us no harm," Stanley said slowly, cautiously. "We won't keep her here forever and she's not a prisoner."

Before Erik could disagree, Charles asked if she knew that they were coming.

"I told her," Stanley said and stopped outside of a plain wooden door. "She didn't acknowledge it at all. Like I said, I don't even know if she understands English. We've tried a few other languages, but she doesn't respond to any of them. We're at a total loss."

Charles nodded. "Thank you. Let us give it a try, shall we?"

Stanley gestured to the door across the hall. "I'll be in there when you're finished." And then he disappeared into what was likely his office.

Erik and Charles looked at each other, and then they both nodded once. "Let's go," Charles said, and Erik knocked twice before turning the knob and pushing the door in.

Charles guided his chair inside first, and then Erik followed behind and closed the door. They had entered what looked to be a suite, and they were in the living area. There was a TV, a recliner, and a black couch. Lying on her back on the couch was a young woman that looked to be in her mid-twenties.

She was dressed in plain black pants and a gray tee, her dark hair loose and wavy. It seemed that she was staring up at the ceiling, almost unblinking. In no way did she acknowledge their entrance.

Erik and Charles glanced at each other, and then Charles wheeled himself forward a little more. "Hello. My name is Charles Xavier. This is my friend, Erik Lehnsherr. We're mutants, and I think that you may be one as well."

The woman didn't move a muscle.

Charles tried again. "I can promise you that whatever you tell us will be completely confidential. We won't tell the CIA anything that you share with us."

Still, the woman stared at the ceiling, silent.

 _I'm going to try to read her mind_ , Charles sent out to Erik, who nodded in approval. They needed to know _something_ about this woman.

As he had thousands of times before, Charles reached out with his mind. It was an indescribable feeling, and he closed his eyes as he reached her mind. And he felt it, but… there was… so much…

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

Charles opened his eyes and looked at the woman on the couch, surprised that she had spoken in English accented much like his own. She was sitting upright now, facing the two men. Her eyes were a blue unlike any he had ever seen.

"You speak English," Charles said in surprise and then recovered. "I'm sorry, I… I never enter people's minds without permission, but you weren't talking to us."

"I have nothing to say," she responded flatly and cocked her head ever so slightly to the side. "What did you see?"

"Nothing," Charles said, still very confused. "But also too much. I couldn't… I couldn't process it."

"You have telepathic powers," Erik said.

The young woman turned her gaze to him, and he found himself pierced by the unusual blue. "No. Just a very… _developed_ mind."

Before he could ask her what she meant by that, Charles spoke again and she turned her gaze to him. "I promise I will never enter your mind again without permission." A small, almost self-deprecating smile pulled up one corner of his mouth. "I don't think that I could if I wanted to. Will you tell us your name?"

She regarded them coolly for a few moments and then said, "You can call me Calla. Calla Jacobs."

 *** Calla ***

I wasn't sure why I had chosen the name Calla. I wasn't going to give them my true name, though; I hadn't even spoken my true name in centuries. I'd known a Calla once, back when I'd lived in Greece for a time. The name meant "the most beautiful", and I vaguely wondered if I had turned vain in all of my years in the pyramid.

"Can you tell us how long you were in the pyramid?" the man named Charles – the telepathic one – asked me, and I returned my attention to him. He spoke with an English accent, much like the one that I still had. He was dressed rather nicely, and I had the sense that he was an intellectual type.

His companion was fascinating – tall and strong and obviously guarded. I couldn't even blame him. He was dressed much more casually than Charles, and it seemed that the two of them couldn't be more different.

 _He asked me a question_. "What's the year?"

"1973."

"Wow," I breathed. "One hundred and twenty-three years. Not quite the forever that I was hoping for. A researcher discovered me, correct? While he was disturbing a sacred resting place?"

"That's… correct, I think," Charles answered me. "How did you make yourself sleep for one hundred and twenty-three years without aging? What, exactly, _is_ your power?"

 _Power_ …

I closed my eyes against the onslaught of flashbacks. The sea parting and the people praising God, as if he'd had anything to do with it. The mountain crumbling, crushing the Norse army as they slaughtered innocent men, women, and children. The volcano at Pompeii erupting with my anger. The great winds that had torn down cities. So much power…

"The earth." I opened my eyes to find Charles and Erik looking at me curiously. "I… I'm linked to the earth." At their confused expressions, I explained further. "I… elemental power. The four elements? Water, fire, earth, and air? I can control them."

"But what do you mean _linked to the earth_?" Erik asked.

Just as he finished his question, realization lit Charles' eyes. "Of course. You're immortal. Linked to the earth. You were here at the beginning and you live on as long as the earth survives."

Erik looked startled, but Charles looked excited.

"That's the right of it, I'm afraid."

"I have so much to ask you…" Charles said, a million questions in his eyes.

The words were out before I could control how harsh they came out. "I don't like to talk about my past."

There was an awkward silence, and Charles was the one that broke it. "Of course. Forgive me. Can I just ask… What is your plan now that you've been awakened?"

I didn't have one, actually. I'd been awake for a week and a day, but I'd yet to decide what to do or where to go. Obviously, putting myself into an "eternal sleep" hadn't worked; it had only given me a little more than a century. It had taken me years to come up with that plan… I didn't see the point in coming up with another one. I felt as hopeless as ever, and I didn't see the point in making any decisions anymore.

"I don't know," I finally admitted. "I hadn't thought much about it." _Or at all, actually_.

This seemed to excite Charles, who moved his chair closer and smiled at me. "I have a school, of sorts. A safe haven for mutants like us. I call it a school for gifted youngsters. I would love it if you would come back there with us."

I almost laughed aloud. "Believe me, I don't need any schooling on my powers."

"I'm not suggesting that at all," he assured me. "I was actually rather hoping that you would agree to teach."

"To… _teach_?" The idea sounded positively ludicrous. "Listen, I've been asleep for the last one hundred and twenty-three years. I have plenty to catch up on myself; I don't think I would be any good at teaching others."

"We're happy to help you catch up." Did this man have an answer for _everything_? "We'll get you books, films… anything that you need. It shouldn't take all that long. I get the feeling that you're a very quick learner."

Well… I was. "What would I even teach?"

He shrugged. "Languages? History? We have openings, believe me. We don't have _a lot_ of students, but it's enough to keep the current teachers more than a little busy. There's only three of us right now – myself, Erik, and Hank McCoy. We would be so grateful if you would help to… lighten the burden a bit."

Teaching… _A new purpose_. Something deep inside of me longed for it. I had lost all sense of purpose long ago, and perhaps a new one was exactly what I needed to stop feeling so… _lost_. I was well aware that it wouldn't last forever, but it could help me for a short time, at least.

"Or you can stay here," Erik said, interrupting my thoughts. "They'll study you for a while, try to find out as much about you as they can. Once they determine that you're no longer a threat, they'll throw you out in the world to find your own way. And while I'm sure that you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, I assure you that the process would be much smoother if you allowed us to help you. We mutants have to stick together; it's a different time for us than I'm sure it was a century ago."

I wanted to ask what he knew about the world a hundred years ago, but snapping at him would get me nowhere. "I'm sure it is." I inhaled deeply, decision made. When I spoke, it was to Charles. "I'll come to the school and if I like it, then I'll stay on."

"And teach?" he asked me hopefully.

"Maybe. It depends on what I'd be teaching."

"We can talk about that." He smiled brightly at me. "We'll leave momentarily. Let me just go and tell Stanley that you'll be coming with us. Erik, help her with her things, will you?" Before Erik or I could get a word out, he was heading towards the door. In moments, he was gone.

"I don't have any things," I told Erik as I stood and moved off to the side where my shoes waited for me. "They got me this… well, they _called_ it an outfit, but… Anyways, that's all that I have." I slipped the shoes on and turned back around to face him.

He seemed surprised. "That's all that you have?"

"They destroyed my other clothes and the possessions that I had on me. They were afraid of foreign bacteria, I think." I shrugged. Those things hadn't meant anything to me, anyways. My most prized possessions were still safe. "Tell me about _your_ power."

"I control metal."

That sounded interesting. "That's useful."

"Are you being sarcastic?"

I shook my head. "I meant it. Metal is everywhere. I'm sure you're quite powerful."

"Some might say that." He tried to keep his expression neutral, but I could tell that he was pleased by my words. "But _your_ power… To control air? There's _nothing_ they could do to stop _you_."

"Who's _they_?" Was there some kind of enemy that I needed to be aware of?

"The humans," he answered me as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "They're very… well, let's just say that they're not always the most accepting. I have a theory that they've captured some of us to study so that they can put an end to us."

"Paranoid, aren't you?"

The corner of his mouth hitched up in a smile. "That's what Charles always says."

The door opened just then and Charles called out to us from the hallway. "Are you ready to go?"

 _Was_ I ready to go? I took a deep breath and then moved for the door before I could change my mind. "Yes, I'm ready to go."

Erik fell into step behind me as I joined Charles. No one tried to stop us as we left, and soon enough we had stepped out into the sunlight, which embraced me as an old friend.

 _Minute by minute_ , I reminded myself.

And I climbed into the car to begin my next adventure.


	3. Haunted Pasts

… **..**

 **Chapter number three is up! Thank you all so much for coming back to read it! I was just thinking to myself that the story almost seems a bit slow, but I promise you that it's going to pick up soon and that the end is going to be very action-packed. So… hang in there! The "slow" parts are really important for character development.**

 **Thanks so much to all of you that have read, reviewed, favorited, followed, and sent me private messages. I really appreciate all of the support that I've received so far. Keep it coming!**

 **Happy Reading!**

… **..**

 _ **Chapter Three: Haunted Pasts**_

 *** Calla ***

"Can I help you?" the woman in the department store asked me as I helplessly stared at the racks of clothing. Charles had given me money to go shopping for new clothes since I had next to none – a "sign-on bonus", he had called it. Since I didn't have any other clothing, I had decided to go to the mall immediately, but I'd quickly discovered that the task that I had set for myself was more than a little daunting.

Things changed over the years – that was a given. But before, I'd always been a part of that change. I'd watched it happen in front of my eyes, and I had been able to adapt accordingly. But now… one hundred and twenty-three years was a long time to be out of the loop. I didn't have the slightest idea about the fashion or the culture of New York. Walking through the mall had almost been overwhelming, and I had wanted to just leave and try again when I had more knowledge… but I had promised myself that I would get this done today, so I refused to leave without at least a few more articles of clothing.

"I'm just…" I struggled for the right word. _Browsing? Looking around? Hopeless? Intimidated?_ "I'm not sure what I want."

The woman – whose nametag identified her as Sandy – looked me up and down. "Are you just wanting an update to your wardrobe?"

I was sure that I looked strange to her. I was dressed in very plain clothes – grays and blacks – and her clothing was vibrant and colorful. Surely there was a middle ground? "I don't like flashy colors," I told her. "But… yes, I would like to update my wardrobe."

"Okay." She moved for the closest rack. "Let's see what we can come up with. What's your size?"

"My… _size_?" I looked down at my slim, athletic body. "Um…"

Sandy looked at me strangely and then shook her head like I was a creature from another planet. "We'll start with a four and go from there."

I had no idea what she was talking about, but I nodded. For the next twenty minutes, I followed behind her like a lost child while she pulled item after item off of the many racks and shelves. When both of our arms were full, she led me to a dressing room and left me to try the items on.

I decided to begin with the pants and was pleased that she'd decided on the right size for me; they fit me perfectly. I was less pleased with the pants that fanned out at the bottom. I much preferred the ones that were straight all the way down. So, I created three piles with the clothing that I had already tried on: the clothes that I were definitely buying, the ones that I would possibly buy, and the ones that I was not going to buy. That would make it easier.

The tops were next, and I was overall happy about the ones that she had picked out for me. I stuck to earthy tones rather than the vibrant ones, but I still felt like they were an upgrade. Shoes were a little easier and by the end, I felt good about what I'd chosen. But after counting out the money that Charles had given me, I realized that I wouldn't even be spending a quarter of it for the clothes.

 _Am I supposed to get more?_

But I needn't have worried, for Sandy then took me over to the unmentionables section, where she helped me pick out everything that I would need. Things had changed quite a bit in that department, so I was thankful for her guidance. Sleepwear was the last stop with Sandy and by the end, I had only spent half of the money.

"You'll need to head on over to the makeup department," Sandy told me as she handed me the change. "They'll show you what to use and how to use it. Not that you need it," she scoffed with a hint of jealousy. "Your skin is perfect."

"Thank you?" I said, not really sure if she actually meant it as a compliment.

She gave me directions and so I found myself in the makeup department, surrounded by the strangest things. So many colors and shapes…

It wasn't long before a woman approached me, much as Sandy had. "Hello! Do you need any help?"

"Please." This woman obviously knew what to do with all of these things, as her face was painted in a most interesting fashion with all kinds of different colors.

"Great! What kind of look are you going for?"

My cluelessness must have come through in my expression, because instead of waiting for an answer, she began to lead me around and show me all kinds of interesting things. Blusher, bronzer, eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara… there were so many different things.

"For you, I would suggest a natural look," she told me once she'd shown me all of the different products. "Your skin is so pretty and your _eyes_ …" She clucked her tongue. "I would _kill_ for eyes like those."

"I'd hope not," I muttered, and she laughed as though I'd told a clever joke.

"You're going to want to accent the eyes as much as possible, so let's get _this_ mascara." She picked some out for me. "And…" She looked around, concentrating. "Maybe a bit of blusher to accent those high cheekbones?" She picked that out for me, as well as a few more things that she thought I would like. She showed me how to use them, and then I paid for them before rushing out of the store, uncertain of whether I would actually use the makeup.

But, if it was the thing to do…

Hank McCoy, whom Charles had sent to take me to the mall, was waiting in the food court at the same table I'd left him at. He looked up when I approached and closed his book so that he could take some of my bags for me.

"Did you find everything that you needed?" he asked me as we walked towards the car.

Still feeling overwhelmed, I shrugged. "I think so."

"Good. Charles said that he and Erik would pick up some books so that you can catch up on the last hundred years. They've likely beaten us back to the house."

I said nothing. Idle chatter had never been my cup of tea. Hank didn't seem to mind, and he busied himself with loading my bags and then driving us back to the house that served as a school to about thirty students.

The students ranged greatly in age, from five to seventeen – mutants of all powers. I had only met a couple of them thus far, but it seemed that the school was a safe haven for them, and I appreciated that. Everyone needed a place where they could feel safe and like they belonged. Sometimes, those things could be hard to find for people that were different from everyone else. Like mutants.

I had agreed to teach at the school, and so I had been given a room in what Charles had dubbed the "teacher wing". It held the bedrooms for the instructors as well as the classrooms, offices, and library. Charles had told me that I could decorate my bedroom if I wished, but I doubted that I would do so. The plain look worked rather well for me.

Hank helped me carry my bags up to my room and once he had been assured that I didn't need any further assistance, he left to go down to his lab to get some work done. He was a genius that had graduated from Harvard at a very young age, but intelligence wasn't even his power. He had been dubbed "The Beast", and supposedly he could turn into a towering blue, furry beast. Even in human form, he possessed impressive strength and agility.

The first thing that I did was unpack all of my bags and put everything away. I had never liked clutter, and I felt much better once everything had a place. The next thing that I did was check out the books that had been placed on the small bookshelf in my room, likely by Charles. Most of them were history books, but there were also several magazines to choose from.

I picked the magazines first, as I wanted to get a feel for the culture and the fashion. That way, at least I could blend in. So, I settled on the bed and began to flip through the first one, soaking it all in. Things had changed more than I could have dreamed, and I found myself entranced by this new world that I had awoken to. There was so much to learn and grow accustomed to. Surely that and teaching would keep me occupied for a while.

Right?

But I had no more time to think on it, for a knock on my door interrupted me. "Yes?" I called.

The door opened and I saw Charles on the other side, sitting in his wheelchair and smiling at me. "I thought to accompany you to the dining hall. Dinner has been prepared."

"Who prepares dinner?" I asked him as I climbed off of the bed and made my way over to him.

"There are kitchen staff as well as maids and a groundskeeper. All humans," he told me before I could ask. "And yes, they do know what we are. They were homeless before, and so I offered them jobs here. They have their own quarters on the grounds and they all seem to enjoy it."

"At least more than being homeless," I said and closed my door behind me. We began to make our way down the hall. "Thank you again for the shopping money. I _did_ get some new clothes…" I sheepishly looked down at my outfit. "Even though I didn't have the chance to change into any of them."

He smiled at me. "Not to worry. You didn't know what time dinner would be served. I was thinking that tomorrow we could talk about what classes you could teach."

Tomorrow was a Saturday, so there wouldn't be any classes. Charles had said that he liked to give the students the weekend to be free and just enjoy being kids. It gave their minds and bodies a chance to rest. "That sounds fine."

"Have you had a chance to read any of the material that I picked up for you?"

I shook my head. "I've only skimmed one of the magazines. When I have a good block of time, I'd like to get started on one of the books about World War Two. I can't believe that I missed an entire world war while I was asleep."

"It was a terrible time," he told me sadly. "I was only a child here and the fighting never reached America, but its effects lasted for years."

We reached the dining hall just then, which was a collection of tables with matching chairs. Food was sitting out on every table, and it seemed to be a "seat yourself" kind of affair. Plenty of students were already there and many of them looked over at me curiously. I wondered what kind of rumors had been going around about the new mutant.

"What do they know?" I quietly whispered to Charles as we headed for a table at the far end of the room.

Charles smiled at the students as we passed them and I could tell from their expressions that they all respected him greatly. No doubt, they were thankful that he had opened his home to them and was teaching them how to control their powers. "Not much, really. They obviously know that you're a mutant and they've figured out that you're going to be teaching a class or two here. How much else they know is entirely up to you."

I felt relieved.

"Erik." Charles greeted his friend as we reached what appeared to be the professor table, for Hank was also sitting there with a plate loaded with food. "Hank. Calla will be joining us tonight."

"Of course." Hank smiled at me. "Did you get all settled in?"

I sat down beside Hank and across from Erik while Charles wheeled up beside Erik. "Everything is unpacked and in its place," I confirmed and looked at the platters that were set out. Roast, potatoes, carrots, rolls, and some kind of cake. "This looks delicious."

"The cooks are quite talented," Charles assured me as he telepathically began to pile food onto his plate. "Dig in; there's plenty of food."

Obviously.

I scooped out a little of everything and began to eat as Hank talked about one of the students that was having some difficulty paying attention in class. Hank, it appeared, taught various forms of science and math. Erik taught a foreign language (German) and physical activity, and Charles oversaw English and philosophy. They all took turns with history and with teaching the students to use their powers. I wondered what I would be assigned to teach.

"Calla?"

I snapped myself out of my silent reverie at Charles' call. He'd obviously been trying to get my attention for a few moments.

"Sorry," I apologized and cut into a potato. "What did you say?"

"Hank was asking you a question."

I looked over to Hank and waited.

"I was asking which element is the hardest to control," he said. "I have my theories, but it'd be nice to hear conclusively from an expert." He smiled.

I chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, they're all challenging in their own way. Earth… rock is a stubborn element. You have to be strong. Fire is raging, so I'd say _maybe_ that's the hardest one to control, just because it's so wild. Water can be difficult because it's an element of calm, so you have to have a certain inner peace to control it. And air is probably the easiest."

"I would have guessed fire." Hank seemed very proud of himself. "I'd love to design a suit for you. We all have one that accommodates our powers. Yours would be quite the challenge… waterproof, flame resistant… I'll start working on it."

"Umm… okay."

Charles smiled at me. "Hank rather enjoys his inventions. The jet that we flew on from DC? He invented that. We made the trip in half the time that it would have taken a regular jet, and it wasn't even moving at full speed."

"Wow," I approved, which caused Hank to blush. "Impressive."

Charles insisted that he talk about the other projects that he was working on and I listened, eager to learn. I had been soaking in everything around me since I'd woken up, trying to get used to this new world. There was so much to learn.

After dinner was over, I walked back to my room and finished the magazine before I decided that I would start in on one of the books about the second world war. It was a topic that I was eager to learn about, as it was obviously a major historical event. I had been present for every other major historical event, and it felt strange that I had missed this one.

After a couple of hours of reading, I grew thirsty, and I decided that I would go to the kitchens to get myself something to drink. The halls were quiet, as it was in the early hours of the morning and everyone was asleep. _I_ needed to be asleep, but I had promised myself that I could finish off the chapter first.

As I rounded the corner to push my way into the kitchen, I ran into someone. Startled, I jumped back and managed to drop my book in the process.

"I'm sorry," I automatically apologized, as I had been more engrossed in the book than in paying attention to where I was going.

When my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, I saw that it was Erik that I had run into. He had bent down to pick up my book and was staring at the cover as he straightened. "World War Two." There was something there in his voice that I couldn't quite decipher.

"Yes." I took the book back from him. "I wanted to learn all about it that I can. I can't believe that I missed it."

His expression grew hard and his tone was biting. "Be glad that you did."

I spoke slowly and cautiously, as one might to a stray dog before you're aware of its temperament. "I was not saying that I would have loved to have been a part of it. I only meant that I have been present for every other major historical event; it's hard to believe that I missed something so monumental."

"Some of us weren't so lucky." He subconsciously rubbed a spot on his arm, and it was then that I saw the numbers inked onto his skin.

 _No…_

"You were…." I told myself that I shouldn't ask, that he likely would not want to talk about it, but my curiosity got the best of me. "You were there? At the concentration camps with the Jews?"

He looked right at me, but he seemed to be far, far away. Likely back in the camps, where I knew that he would have seen his friends and family dying all around him. So much pain and so much suffering… And he would have only been a child.

"I was. It was a… horrible time. They took me from my mother and that's when my powers emerged. I bent an iron gate trying to reach her. Days later, I was taken by a doctor that wanted to research my _abilities_." His fists clenched. "They killed my mother right in front of me to get what they wanted."

A painful mix of emotions stirred in my chest, anger at the forefront. "Erik… I'm so sorry."

"You should be." His tone was harsh, but his eyes held only pain and sadness. "You weren't there. You could have stopped all of this from happening and you weren't there. You didn't even _know_ that it was happening because you were _asleep_."

"I did know," I said softly. At his confused expression, I explained. "I was asleep, but not dead. I'm linked to the earth; I've been here since the beginning of time. Even in my slumber, I could _feel_ all of the pain and suffering. I knew that something big was happening. I could feel the death… the amount of bodies being buried in the earth."

"And you did nothing." There was a hatred in his voice that would have scared any normal person. But I was as far from normal as it was possible to get, and I was not afraid of him. I knew that he only spoke in pain. And he'd had more than his fair share of that, to be certain.

"I _couldn't_ , at that point. I'd been asleep for so long… I didn't have the power to awaken myself. And believe me, Erik, I wanted to. Wanted to see if I could help." I didn't tell him that I'd thought that it was possible that the whole world was ending or that there'd been another plague.

"You could have, if you'd tried hard enough." But he didn't know. He only spoke in anger. "You could have saved us. You could have saved…" He stopped abruptly, but I knew what he'd wanted to say. _You could have saved_ me _._

But he didn't know. He would never understand. "Believe me, Erik, I'm angrier than you'll _ever_ be about all those that went unsaved." Hundreds of thousands of people that I'd known that had died. All of the murders and illnesses that had taken people from me. He would never be able to comprehend how much death had hurt me in the past.

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he held my book out to me.

"Thank you," I said softly and then moved past him and into the kitchen, praying that he would be able to find peace soon.

I knew all too well what could happen if you held on tight the overwhelming anger.


	4. Instability

… **..**

 **Hey, everybody! Welcome back to the newest chapter of the story! I hope that you've all enjoyed this story thus far, and I'm working hard to keep it that way. Please let me know what you think, and feel free to offer up some suggestions! I love to read your thoughts! I hope that you enjoy this chapter.**

 **So sorry about the lengthy time between uploads; there was a death in my family and it's taken me awhile to get back into the swing of things following that. Hopefully, I'll be on a regular uploading schedule soon.**

 **Thanks to all those that have read, reviewed, favorited, followed, and private messaged me. Each show of support is such a treasure to me – more than you'll ever know. Keep them coming, please! I love hearing from you.**

 **Happy Reading!**

… **..**

 _ **Chapter Four: Instability**_

 *** Calla ***

Charles had asked me to come to his office whenever I was ready, and I was very thankful that he hadn't told me to meet him early in the morning, because I actually slept in rather late, much to my surprise. I supposed that my body had simply been worn out, especially from the late-night reading. I'd ended up finishing the entire book after my encounter with Erik, simply because I had wanted to be more informed about this terrible event in his life. As an extra precaution, I'd also done research about the first world war.

Once awake, I showered and then changed into some of the new clothes that I'd bought the day before. My hair went up into a messy ponytail and I decided against any kind of makeup. I'd save that for special occasions. With nothing else to do, I headed for Charles' office and found him inside, playing chess with himself.

"I know that I've missed a lot, but where I'm from, chess is a two-person game," I told him as I stepped inside.

He smiled and telepathically began to reset the board as he gestured to the chair across from him. "Please. You play?"

I sat down and nodded. "Chess has been around for centuries. You might have met your match, Professor."

"I do so look forward to the challenge."

The next few minutes were spent in silence, each of us caught up in the game. Finally, when I had taken his rook, he spoke. "Have you given any thought to what you would like to teach?"

"I'll teach whatever you need me to teach," I told him and winced when he took my knight. "Though I must warn you, I would be absolute rubbish at math and science."

"History, then?" he asked me. "I'm sure that you would be quite good at _that_. You were there for it, after all."

"All except for the last one hundred and twenty-three years," I corrected him gently. "But I'm working on that. The books that you got for me have been most helpful. I'm certain that I'll be all caught up in no time."

"I'm so happy to hear that." He moved his last pawn forward one space. "We've landed on history, then?"

"I suppose so."

"Excellent." As he studied the board, a book floated from his desk and onto my lap. "This is the textbook that we've been using."

" _Reflections in World History_ ," I read with a frown. "Seriously?"

He shrugged and made a move. "The government provides all of the regular textbooks for free, as we _are_ still a school, even a mutant one. If you decide that you'd like to utilize a different book, please just let me know and I'll take care of it."

"Okay." I made a mental note to read through the textbook later. "What have they studied thus far?"

"The semester has only just begun," he told me. "I think they've gotten through the first chapter, but that's it."

"And the curriculum? Do I give them homework to do? Tests? Quizzes?"

He smiled warmly. "I'm so happy to see that you're taking your job seriously. It is entirely up to you, of course. But they will need to be able to prove a most basic knowledge of world history."

"I can do that." I moved my queen. "Check."

"Ah." He made a move to counter. "You _are_ quite skilled at this game. The only opponent that I've had lately has been Erik, and he's absolute rubbish when it comes to chess. Doesn't quite have the patience for it."

"What a surprise," I muttered, which had Charles laughing.

"You mustn't judge Erik too harshly," he told me as he started to make a move and then changed his mind, opting instead to study the board a little longer. "He's had more than his fair share of struggles."

"Like the Holocaust." When Charles looked up at me, surprised, I shrugged. "I'd been reading the book and saw the tattoo on his arm. And he told me when he saw what I was reading. He was… angry that I'd slept through it."

"Ah." Charles' smile was sad. "I am certain that he did not mean to cause you any distress. It is a very sensitive subject for him."

"Of course." I could understand that, especially after reading about what had happened to the Jews at the hands of the Nazis. I couldn't even imagine what he had been through in that time. Especially since he'd been experimented on as a mutant. "What happened to the doctor that experimented on the mutants during the war?"

Charles seemed vaguely surprised that I knew about that, but he answered my question. "Shaw. He turned out to be a mutant as well. Erik tracked him down, and that's actually how we met." He then proceeded to tell me the entire story as we played another few games of chess.

"Wow," I said at the end and moved my queen. "Check mate."

He laughed. "Not again."

I grinned proudly. "I told you that I've been playing the game for centuries, Professor. Experience is on my side."

"I suppose that I was hoping that you had lost some of your skill in the pyramid."

"Not so."

"Ah, well." He sighed. "I have a few things that I must see to before the day is over. First on that list is a late breakfast."

My stomach rumbled right on cue. "I didn't grab any breakfast, either."

"We'll go together, then," he said and began to lead the way. "Meredith makes the most delectable blueberry muffins."

The muffins certainly were delectable, and I ate more than I should have. Charles and I sat at a table with Hank, who had said that Erik had gone for a run and had taken his breakfast with him. He also told us that he'd been working on some modifications to the jet, and it should be even faster now. I made a mental note to never set foot in it again.

"Calla has agreed to become our history teacher, as well as taking on some of the power instruction," Charles said proudly, which made me blush.

Hank grinned. "That's great! I'm sure you'll do much better with the world history than any of us, and it'll really help to lighten the load for the rest of us." He looked at Charles. "What are the schedules going to be like now?"

Charles set about explaining how the new classes would work, and he promised to send updates to all of the students so that there would be no confusion. He made it all sound so simple, like running a school – no less, a school for mutants - was the easiest thing in the world. I felt a wave of gratitude for this man that was working so hard to help the mutants of the world. I hoped that it would pay off for him.

Hank offered to show me the classroom that I'd be using, so I finished off the last bite of my muffin and then followed him out of the dining hall. Along the way, he showed me the science labs and classrooms, and the room that they used for English classes. There were a few more classrooms, and then we entered the one that was to be used for history/geography.

There were twenty desks organized into four rows, five desks in each row. At the front was a desk similar to the one in Charles' office, with a chair sitting behind it. Against one wall was a bookshelf that held many books about history, and I was eager to read them to see what they had to say. On the wall behind the teacher's desk was a large map of the world and along the other walls were various graphs and maps and pictures.

"Very nice," I approved.

Hank smiled. "Charles tried to make it as similar to a school as he could. I thought it would be hard for him to turn his family's estate into a school and share it with others, but he actually said that it wasn't hard at all. It was something that he felt like he needed to do."

"Have you been with the school since the beginning?" I began to walk around and look at the posters on the walls.

"Yes. So has Erik."

That surprised me. "I can certainly see _you_ as a professor, but _Erik_ …"

Hank laughed, almost a bit nervously. "I can understand that. Erik is… well… he's Erik. He and Charles are very close, which is surprising given that-" He abruptly stopped speaking and when I turned to look at him, I saw that he had that look of someone that had revealed too much and hoped that no one had noticed.

Unfortunately for him, I was very observant. "Given that… what?"

He shifted nervously from one foot to the other and avoided eye contact. "I really shouldn't talk about it. It isn't my place."

"I won't say a word to anyone. Promise." I gave him my sweetest smile. "I just want to know more about the people I'm going to be teaching with."

He thought for several moments and then sighed before sitting on top of one of the desks, legs dangling over the side. "Erik is the reason that Charles can't walk."

I felt my eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Seriously?" Mimicking Hank, I sat on the top of the desk beside his, folding my legs in front of me. "What happened?"

"There was this… initiative. We called ourselves the X-Men. A group of mutants that fought the bad mutants. And it all went fine… up until the humans shot missiles at us."

I knew what missiles were from reading my World War 2 books. "Why would they shoot missiles at you if you were trying to help them?"

Hank shrugged and ran a hand through his brown hair. "They were… confused. The mutants on the other side had created a huge mess, and I think that the humans were just scared."

"So, a missile hit Charles?" I failed to see how that was Erik's fault.

"No, no." Hank shook his head. "Erik stopped the missiles. He controls metal – did you know that?"

I nodded.

Hank continued. "So, he tried to shoot the missiles back at the humans, and Charles stopped him. But he just kept trying… so a CIA agent that we had with us tried to shoot him."

"With bullets made of metal," I concluded, wondering just how idiotic this CIA agent had to be.

He nodded. "Of course, Erik deflected the bullets. Unfortunately…"

"One of them hit Charles." It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together. "I'm guessing in the back?"

"Erik got the bullet out, but Charles was already paralyzed."

I felt an immense sadness for Charles, who had only been trying to save the humans – the people that had shot missiles at him. He had more compassion than I'd realized. "Poor Charles."

Hank nodded. "Erik wanted to leave – to wage war against the humans – but Charles convinced him to stay. Erik got him through a really rough couple of years and then Charles got the idea to start the school. Somehow, he convinced Erik to stay and teach, and it didn't take much to get me on board. We've been running for two years now."

It was quite a story. "Impressive."

"Erik's not so bad," he assured me. "Charles always says that we have to be patient with him because he's been through more than we'll ever know."

I remembered the numbers inked onto his skin and nodded. "Yes, he has. So… I think it's time for me to go. I have a history textbook to look through and I'd like to get a little bit of training in."

"Yeah, I need to get back down to my lab to keep working on the jet. I think I'm close to being done." He seemed so excited about it; it was really quite adorable.

"Good luck with that." I left him there and went back to my room to leave my textbook on my bed. Then, I changed into some athletic clothes and made my way outside. I'd never been the most dedicated when it came to establishing and maintaining a fitness regimen, but there _was_ one thing that I did every single day, no matter what.

On my first day at the mansion/school, I had gone out into the surrounding woods and there I had found my newest spot for meditation. I liked to be as close to nature as I could be during my meditation sessions, and the woods had been full of ideal locations. But my favorite location of all was a small clearing with a brook that gurgled from one end to the other. It supplied the water, earth, and air, and I could supply the fire.

It was only about a seven-minute walk, and it felt like I was there in no time at all. I smiled as I looked around, breathing in the nature all around me. After being confined in a dusty pyramid for over a century, I'd take all of the fresh air that I could get.

The grass was soft beneath me as I sat down and drew my legs in, folding them like a pretzel in front of me. Then, with back straight and eyes closed, I inhaled deeply. Long exhale. Inhale again. Exhale.

I could remember the early days, when I only knew my power,w3sqa and control was not a familiar concept. My rages forged cracks in the earth and my joys could sprout entire forests. The lack of control eventually frightened me enough to make me search for answers, but it was twenty years and many destructions later that I finally found those answers.

A mutant nearly as old as I was had given me great counsel and it was with his help that I finally began to understand and control my great power. He had encouraged me to meditate every day and though I had at first thought that it was ridiculous, I had grown to enjoy my time with nature.

 _For you are of the earth_ , he had told me, _and to maintain control of your powers, you must communicate regularly with the earth._

But my time in the pyramid had forced a separation that felt unnatural within me. Like… like I was missing something vital. Before, the power within me had always been there, but contained. Now, it felt like it was rattling around, itching to get out. This scared me; it had taken many years to learn to control that power, and now it felt like that had all been a waste.

Not to mention that I had grown stronger over the thousands of years that I had been alive. That meant that learning to control my powers again was going to take even longer than it had the first time. And that meant many, _many_ years.

Inhale.

Exhale.

"Earth," I whispered, eyes still closed. The power in me stirred and I felt the rocks spring from the ground, forming a rotating ring around my body.

"Fire," was the next quiet call, and I heard the flaming ring as it joined with the rocks, interlocking as it rotated.

"Air," I whispered, and I felt myself levitate as a concentrated ring of wind began to blow with the other two rings, sending them into a wild pattern.

"Water," was the final call, and the brook gurgled noisily as a ring of water came to join the other three.

I opened my eyes and saw the four rings, spinning and twisting in an ever-moving circle all around me. But something about the movements seemed… wilder than they should have. I still felt like I had control, but it seemed to be taking a lot more effort than it should have.

 _How much did I lose while lying asleep in that pyramid?_

I cursed myself for this loss, but then reminded myself that I had never intended to wake up again. If those damn humans had just minded their own business and let the dead rest in peace…

The circle of fire expanded, bursting the other rings and sending me crashing to the ground. Reflexively, I put my arms up to shield me from the flame as it crackled and burned, headed right for me.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Just as the fire reached my arm, it disappeared, and I was left panting as I stared up at the trees above me.

"I could have set the whole damn forest on fire," I growled as I pushed myself to my feet and looked around to be sure that nothing had caught on fire. "I didn't realize _how_ out of control I was." What had once been such a simple exercise was now a strain.

 _Temper_. I could hear Claudius' voice in my head, a reminder of long ago. _You must control your temper. The fire seems to respond most eagerly to it. Such an angry element._

"Not angry," I whispered, just as I had to Claudius back in his cave. "Just responsive." To rage. To hatred. To fear.

 _Still_ , I could hear him saying, _you wield far too great a power to lose control of yourself. The power is a part of you. To control_ it _, you must keep control of yourself_.

"This is going to be a long road," I muttered and sank back down onto the ground with a sigh. I wanted to put my fist through the large boulder at the edge of the clearing, but I knew that wouldn't help anything. So, I trampled down the anger and tried to focus again.

Getting back into the habit of meditating would be my first step to regaining control of my powers. Twice a day, I decided, morning and night. No exceptions. And I would work at controlling my emotions, for the last thing that the world needed, surely, was another natural disaster.

An hour later, I returned to the house and found Erik sitting outside, rotating little metal balls in the air with little effort. He seemed surprised to find me approaching, but he gave me a small smile and said, "Go for a walk?"

It was as good an excuse as any, and I didn't know how he'd feel about knowing that I'd been out meditating to try to regain control of my powers. "Yes. What are you doing out here?"

"Seeking out a moment of peace." He inclined his head back towards the house. "The kids are being a little rowdy in there. Makes me wish that I assigned more homework to keep them busy."

I sat down in the other chair, even though I hadn't been invited to do so. "Homework is so tedious. I've been doing my own homework, though, and it's been keeping me busy. I missed so much… two entire world wars." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wished that I hadn't said anything. He'd admitted to me that he blamed me for not helping his people during the second world war.

But he remained calm, if not far too focused on the metal balls in the air. "Yes… But I don't see you having much of a problem catching up. Are you ready for your class?"

Grateful that he hadn't snapped at me, I let out the breath that I'd been holding. "As ready as I _can_ be, I suppose. I've never been a teacher before."

"Charles thinks that you'll be a natural at it."

"Do you?" I couldn't say why his opinion mattered to me, only that it did.

He looked at me, studying me, for a long moment. In a split second, the three metal balls that he'd been rotating in the air flew at me, catching me by surprise. My hand came up, as if to catch them, but instead they caught on fire, glowing and burning with a heat so hot that Erik reeled backwards in surprise.

Hastily, I put them out and they fell to the ground, still sizzling.

"I'm sorry," I apologized quietly, cursing my lack of control over my powers.

Erik shrugged, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "I'm the one that shot them at you." He stood and moved for the door. "Perhaps you'll make a great teacher yet."


End file.
